When Draco Met Hermione
by WhenLighteningStrikes
Summary: AU. He was the proverbial Casanova, she the annoying know it all. His reality was others' dream, she was grounded in the present. It was hate at first sight for them...and yet what can mortals do when destiny decides to intervene? Draco/Hermione
1. Prologue: Hum Tum aka You and I

**When Draco Met Hermione**

_Disclaimer- Any character you recognize does not belong to me. They belong to the wonderful J.K.Rowling, who's making a mint on them._

_The storyline is from a Hindi movie called Hum Tum (Hum Me, Tum You)_

Summary-AU- A sexy Casanova and a witty, smart Siren engaged in a droll battle of wits trying to one-up the other. Not your typical 'Boy Meets Girl' but the never ending battle of the sexes in a new, wacky style! **_Not _based on When Harry Met Sally. Well………kinda based on that but not really. Yes I'm getting confused myself.**

PROLOGUE:

"Mr. Malfoy", a deep voiced blond, dark-eyed man stepped up from between the crowd of reporters, "Your book is a phenomenal success, one of the fastest selling in the history of the world." here he pointed to a hardbound book near Draco titled _'Hum Tum', _with a boy cartoon and a girl cartoon drawn on its cover.

"Critics and readers alike have praised it. As a newcomer in the literary world, how does it feel?"

Draco pondered the question. How did it feel indeed? How did it feel to be the wildly famous author of an even more famous book? How did it feel to know that people from the age of 6-60 were reading something _he'd _written? How did it feel to receive a thousand letters in fan mail everyday?

He'd heard other authors on this topic. He was supposed to feel ecstatic, intoxicated by his success. So why did he feel so empty? Why did he feel that there was a hole where his heart was? Why'd he not been able to feel anything since she……no he wouldn't go there………not today.

He plastered on a fake smile and answered "It feels fantastic! I'm just speechless, overwhelmed by the love of the people who I don't even know and might never meet."

It was a Malfoy trait to be able to keep a cool front when you were feeling just the opposite. It'd saved him from many emotional situations. He never let his guard down now.

The reporter nodded and melted back into the crowd. He was satisfied; this was what every inexperienced young fool said in interviews. It was the standard reply. And this guy was pretty young, not more than 32.

"What everyone is commenting on, is the authenticity of your characters. Infact they seem so real that they might be our next door neighbors. Any comments?"

Draco gave a low chuckle and glanced at the 'BBC' microphone in front of him. "Yes" he said "I wanted my characters to be real. Flawed. Not perfect mannequins, but actual human beings. I'm glad I achieved that."

"Mr. Malfoy" a breathless, shrill voice came from the back. It reminded him of a girl called Pansy, he'd know in his childhood. She'd had one of the most irritating voices in the universe. "Mr. Malfoy" the voice continued, "I can't tell you how glad I am to have met you, I just _love _your book, it's……"

"Mr. Malfoy" a cool and firm voice interrupted.

Draco looked up to behold a girl with dark hair and blue eyes. Her voice indicated thorough professionalism. However, her eyes betrayed her. They were shy and innocent, giving a youthful appeal to her face and making her look like the beginner that she probably was.

"Are your characters based on real people?" Her voice brought him back down to reality. She's opened an old wound with her words and drawn fresh blood. It still hurt.

"Yes" he whispered, looking down at the ground, as the dam of memories threatened to burst.

Immediately there was a pandemonium amongst the reporters.

"Are you _Hum_?" shouted one voice

"Was your _Tum _anything like the one in your book?"

Draco smiled "She** was **_Tum._ Maddening… and yet nobody understood your thoughts better than her. She was a total know-it-all… and yet showed lack of concern about every norm of the society. She was firm, but with an underlying gentleness……warm, caring……"

His eyes had lit up. Every reporter noticed this. He'd never looked so exultant or carefree before. They felt as if they were witnessing a sacred scene not meant for their eyes.

"She was beautiful……" he sighed "And totally unconscious about it……which made her even more gorgeous in my eyes……"

"Was she your wife?" a reporter shouted

"Or your girlfriend?" another guessed

"Or maybe your childhood best friend?"

Draco was forced to laugh at the irony of it all. "No" he said "She wasn't my wife nor my girlfriend. Forget best we weren't even friends……infact…" his voice grew soft and a loving smile spread across his face "We were worst enemies……"

A hush fell over his eagerly awaiting audience. What kind of a love story was this? Their reporter minds sensed a good scoop, while their simple hearts sensed a fairytale romance.

The blue-eyed woman voiced their thoughts "Why don't you tell us your story?" she said quietly.

Draco looked at her "it's too long"

"We have time……" she insisted

"It took many years"

"We have time……" she repeated

Draco looked around at his listeners. Their faces were lit up with expectation and upturned towards him with faith. They looked like little children waiting for a bed time story from a favorite uncle.

_Should I tell them? _Draco thought. _Would they understand? Does anyone understand?_

His mind whispered to him ..._Tell them. Maybe it'll make the pain a little less._

Draco sat down and closed his eyes. The face of which he'd memorized every detail swam before his eyes, wearing the familiar teasing smile.

Draco opened his eyes, he was ready……

"_It began eleven years ago………………………"_

A/N Thought this was necessary for the story.

So what d'yu think? Let me know. No reviews, no chapter XD


	2. Being Draco Malfoy

**When Draco Met Hermione**

_Disclaimer- Any character you recognize does not belong to me. They belong to the wonderful J.K.Rowling, who's making a mint on them._

_The storyline is from a Hindi movie called Hum Tum (Hum Me, Tum You)_

Summary-AU- A sexy Casanova and a witty, smart Siren engaged in a droll battle of wits trying to one-up the other. Not your typical 'Boy Meets Girl' but the never ending battle of the sexes in a new, wacky style! **_Not _based on When Harry Met Sally. Well………kinda based on that but not really. Yes I'm getting confused myself**

"Paris? Why **Paris**?"

Draco looked at his mother, Narcissa, with open hostility. Spending _three _years in Paris doing some stupid art course wasn't his idea of fun. Now if she'd told him to take Ginny there, well………but since she hadn't so he had to disapprove of her plans.

Narcissa looked at her son and sighed. She hadn't expected this to be easy and it wasn't turning out to be. But she knew she couldn't back out now, for her son had _no _clue about what to do with his life. Playing the general Casanova amongst the girls satisfied _him, _but she had the fond wish that all mothers hold in their heart- Of seeing his name in the papers.

And besides, since his birth with a golden spoon, he's always had everything a man could desire-

Greek-God looks, money without restriction, charisma, charm, the prettiest girls, a loving mother, a caring father (who lived in California since his divorce with his wife), and a slaving best friend.

He'd grown up believing that he just had to ask for something and it would be done. His mother now wanted to give him a taste of the real world, where his every whim would not be fulfilled.

"You have no choice in the matter now, Draco. You do as I say. And your ticket is for the flight at 10:00 o' clock tomorrow from London to Paris."

Draco looked at his mother with admiration. The woman had spunk; there weren't many people in the world capable of talking to him like that.

"Fine. As you wish, mother dear."

'Well, it wouldn't be so bad. After all, Paris had some of the world's most beautiful women. They wouldn't know what hit them', he thought, temporarily forgetting Ginny Weasley, the girl he had been dating since a year now.

Narcissa inwardly grinned in secret delight. Her son- The Artist!

The next day dawned and there was a flurry of last minute packing, most of it done by Narcissa and Harry, Draco's best friend. Cries of- "I thought I told you to throw this shirt _two _years ago." and "Hey man, what's _my _lost i-pod doing in _your_ closet" rendered the otherwise silent air.

Draco meanwhile had just gotten up and was taking his own sweet time in dressing, brushing, eating, etc. With expertise born of years of practice, he ignored his mother's and Harry's shouts.

In the end, even he couldn't stall and they set of for the airport.

"Finally", breathed Narcissa, as they stood on the airport. "I never thought we'd ever reach here."

"Well" said Harry, significantly, "When he began on his _seventh _piece of toast……………"

Narcissa nodded her head. She understood perfectly. She'd too felt like murdering her son at that moment.

"Hey" said Harry suddenly "Where _is _he?"

Narcissa looked around. Her son was nowhere to be seen.

Just as they both were looking at their watches every two seconds, and thinking of "A Thousand Ways To Kill Draco Malfoy." He suddenly appeared, slightly out of breath. "Hey mom, hey Harry. I was just…………"

His mom glared at him and said "Save it. I don't even want to hear who the _girl _was."

"Who said anything about a girl? I had just gone back to the car to um……to get my passport."

"Pretty big passport, wasn't it?" grinned Harry. "Pretty, blonde, blue-eyed. Why don't _I _ever get passports like that?"

Draco glared at him

"Draco!" admonished his mother "What if Ginny came to hear about all this?"

"Mom" he said "You shouldn't take girls so seriously. They're just like taxis- One goes, another comes. Sometimes they're rushing on the highway, and sometimes there's a traffic jam. Unless of course you're Draco Malfoy, in that case there's always a jam" he concluded, making a smug face.

"How many times have I told you not to talk about girls like that. They're also humans, you know. Have you ever heard Harry talk like that?"

"That's cuz Harry's the perfect gentleman. The guy **parents** want for their _daughter_. And I'm the perfect "Ungentleman" the guy **girls** want for _themselves_! Draco ended with a wink

Harry laughed at his friends' antics, he knew him too well to take offence at such remarks. "You know a pretty face ain't everything. You can't tell anything about a person simply by their face or by observing them for less than a minute."

Draco looked at Harry and then looked around. "Sure you can." He said

"Look at that mother-daughter duo there" He pointed at a bushy-haired, brown-eyed girl, dressed in simple red T-Shirt and denim jeans. The mother was slightly plump, with a happy-go-lucky face.

What made them a constant source of interest to the passerby's was, that after every two seconds, the mother (who was in tears), would hug her daughter and tell her to eat well and sleep well and not mix with ungainly people.

The girl, though conscious of the stares, was humoring her mother and saying she'd miss her. Finally, she took leave of her and climbed on the waiting airplane.

Harry and Draco laughed while Narcissa exclaimed, "That was an excellent example of mother-child love. I would be doing the same to you if you would allow it."

Draco looked horrified at the idea "Mother!"

Narcissa smiled "don't worry, dear son, I won't do anything that ruins your carefully maintained reputation."

"Anyway" He came back to the original topic "I could map out that girl's future for you in less than two seconds-

Graduation with honors, courses in big Universities like Harvard/Cambridge, Marriage at the age of 22 to whomever her parents choose, 2 kids- A boy and a girl, life spend in utter devotion to her family"

Harry looked at him in amusement "You can't map out a girls' life like that"

"Meet her after 20 years. You'll see that everything I said was right."

"Draco, you're getting late." Narcissa interrupted the conversation as the final warning for boarding the London-Paris train came over the loudspeaker.

"Bye mom, catcha later Harry" and he rushed towards the waiting plane.

"Wait!" Narcissa said "Have you got your passport?"

"Mother" he exclaimed "Stop treating me like an eight-year-old. I'm a perfectly capable man of twenty. Of course I've got my passport. Its right………'' He began searching his pockets frantically.

Harry held out something, smirking "Looking for this? I picked it from your house, so technically you forgot it there."

Draco threw a 'if-looks-could-kill' look at him and snatched the passport from his outstretched hands and started running towards the plane.

His mom, who'd been paralysed by amazement during this exchange, shouted after him "Draaaaaaaco."

But he was already on the plane that would change his life………forever.

A/N so Draco thinks that he has Hermione all figured out eh?

Well we'll see………………wait for their first meeting on the plane, where Draco comes face to face with the only girl who doesn't like him!

Till then, make me happy, REVIEW!


	3. Three girls and a guy

_Disclaimer- Any character you recognize does not belong to me. They belong to the wonderful J.K.Rowling, who's making a mint on them._

_The storyline is from a Hindi movie called Hum Tum (Hum Me, Tum You)_

Summary-AU- A sexy Casanova and a witty, smart Siren engaged in a droll battle of wits trying to one-up the other. Not your typical 'Boy Meets Girl' but the never ending battle of the sexes in a new, wacky style! **_Not _based on When Harry Met Sally. Well………kinda based on that but not really. Yes I'm getting confused myself.**

Draco looked around the economy compartment. Nothing but the best for him of course. Wait…………..economy?

He snatched the ticket from his pocket and scanned it……..yup, economy. He couldn't believe it, he's agreed to her stupid plan and now his mother had him stranded in economy. He was going to have a few words with her when he got back……er……three years later.

He walked towards the air hostess. She almost swooned as he opened his mouth. Draco ignored it; he was used to such reactions. "Excuse me" He said, arrogance dripping from every word "I think there's been some mistake. I cannot sit in economy, please get me upgraded to business immediately."

The air hostess looked at him. All but drooling. "Yes s...s…sir" she stammered, completely forgetting she had no authority to upgrade anybody "Immediately sir, there must be some mistake, sir…… you…… you can't be economy of course sir…I'll just go sir……"

But she just stood there. Draco looked at her closely. Pretty, but her expression made her look half-witted. Not that he minded. He sighed loudly showing that he was waiting. She immediately scuttled off, tripping over her own feet.

She was back soon, sulking. The pilot had reminded her of her duties and very sarcastically told her that he won't upgrade the man even if he was Bill Gates, easy for him to say, since anybody could see that he _wasn't _Bill Gates.

She was very apologetic. "If I could do anything else sir……I'll assure your utmost comfort. Just call on me……sir"

Draco waved her off. "It's not your fault" he said shortly "It doesn't matter."

He looked around, might as well make best of a situation since he was stuck here. He walked over to the most attractive girl in the plane, the typical blue-eyed, blonde beauty, and said "Hey gorgeous…"

She looked at him and smiled coyly "Hey handsome…"

"So babe……where to?"

"Paris…" she said with a contented sigh "I can't wait to see Australia! There're kangaroos there, which are nothing but large rats, twenty feet tall"

Draco looked at her, open-mouthed. Australia? Rats? Woman was obviously sixpence short of a shilling, but well, who needed brains with such beauty.

"Get your hands off my girlfriend" boomed a voice, above him.

"Your girlfr……" He was about to protest, but seeing that the man was a lot taller and at least seventy pounds heavier than him, he gave up. He's rather save his face from an untimely demise.

"She's all yours" he said, and to her "Bye gorgeous. See you in Australia."

She waved goodbye, slightly dazed from the sight of his face.

He looked at the ticket again, and located his seat. He sat down heavily and looked at his partner. He grinned with delight. What a coincidence! She was the same girl, whose future he had predicted earlier. He had a sudden urge to call Harry and tell him. He'd just taken out the phone, when the announcement was made"

"**Welcome to the Paris Catcher. As we are about to take flight Passengers are requested to tie their seatbelts and disconnect all electronic devices. We hope you will have a happy and safe journey"**

'To hell with it' thought Draco and was about to punch Harry's number, that he saw his partner had a deep frown on her face and she was pointedly glaring at his mobile. He sighed and kept it inside. The world was against him today.

She was reading a magazine and he tried all methods to see the cover. Unfortunately, she saw his actions and raised the cover, so he could read the name- 'Time'

He was quite embarrassed and started to berate his fate. It was just his luck to be stuck with a woman who read 'Time' magazine……a woman, as he noted pointedly, who hadn't even spared a glance for his Greek-God features.

Just then the airhostess came with the refreshments.

"Coffee for me" said Draco and went back to looking out of the window.

"I'll have a cup of black coffee, no milk, with a little cream about two tsp, with half a tsp sugar, brown sugar."

Draco almost choked on his coffee. _What was that?_ He thought to himself, smirking. She was ordering _coffee, _for heaven's sake! Not getting a dress sewed.

Even the airhostess looked confused "Could you repeat that Madame."

So his partner repeated her order, slowly, as if talking to a two year old. And she was rewarded for her pains by a cup of coffee.

She went back to reading.

He scrutinized her closely. Bushy brown hair, brown eyes, quite an unusual shade of brown. Red T-shirt accentuating her slim figure and simple denim jeans. AND a brain (hell……she was _reading…_not only that, she was reading 'TIME'!) Nope, not his type at all. She was Harry's type. He didn't go for girls like that, too much hassle. They were low maintenance but thought themselves high maintenance.

1 HOUR LATER

He was deathly bored. There was absolutely nothing to do in this contraption. His partner was _still _reading, some paper now ('The Tribune'). And for the first in his life, he was completely at sea about how to talk to the girl. It was usually the _girls _who talked to him. Talked…drooled…whatever.

Infact, although that was impossible, but it didn't even _seem_ as if she wanted to talk to him. Murmuring something about 'armrest-nazis', she was taking a lot of pain to ensure that their arm never touched in their common armrest.

_What should I do? I'll die of boredom soon. _He thought to himself. IDEA! He'd ask her for the papers on her seat, and then he could start the talk.

"Could I have those papers on your seat?" Her voice brought him out of his reverie.

"Um……sure" And Draco handed her his papers, looking at her queerly ……could she read minds? It'd be just his luck to be stuck with a witch

She went back to reading.

Enough was enough; he had to do something now.

'You know what" he said in a conspirational whisper "We've been sitting here, together, since two hours and I don't even know your name……"

He laughed like it was the funniest thing in the world.

She smiled at him……and held up her hand "Hermione" she said "Hermione Granger."

Draco took the offered hand "Bond" he said "James Bond"

She looked at him and raised an eyebrow. Ok, so it was a lame joke, but girls were usually so busy checking him out that they forgot everything else. This Hermione was obviously different.

He took her hand again "Draco……Draco Malfoy."

A/N So how was it. I kinda liked this chapter. Don't worry more Draco-Hermione interaction to come. Noticed that although Draco doesn't think highly of women with brains, it's still the first thing he notices.

REVIEW and tell me how it was! And one thing, this fic is AU, which means Hogwarts doesn't exist. Thanks to all of you who reviewed, you made my day! 

Love

Lightening


	4. It's My Life

_Disclaimer- Any character you recognize does not belong to me. They belong to the wonderful J.K.Rowling, who's making a mint on them._

_The storyline is from a Hindi movie called Hum Tum (Hum Me, Tum You)_

Summary-AU- A sexy Casanova and a witty, smart Siren engaged in a droll battle of wits trying to one-up the other. Not your typical 'Boy Meets Girl' but the never ending battle of the sexes in a new, wacky style! **_Not _based on When Harry Met Sally. Well………kinda based on that but not really. Yes I'm getting confused myself.**

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Last read - Draco………Draco Malfoy

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"Aoooooouch" And the air-hostess who had been coming towards them fell with a loud thud, spilling all the water she was carrying in a glass, on Draco's immaculate person.

All around, the people winced and Hermione looked up, startled. It was the same hostess who'd been drooling over Draco earlier. Well…dropping water on him is not exactly the way to charm a prospective lover, and the air-hostess had realized it too, as far as her dumbfounded look on her face let on.

"**What the hell**." Draco shouted "**Do you know how much that cost? It's an Armani original. Why don't you look where you're going**?"

The hostess was blubbering. "Oh God……oh God……oh God" she chanted it like a mantra.

"I can't believe that the staff is so inadequate. I had asked for a glass of water, not a bath."

"Wait" a firm but soothing voice interrupted. Draco looked up from his ruined apparel. Hermione was frowning. In that moment Draco decided that she was one woman you wouldn't like to cross.

"I think it was a genuine mistake. She slipped on that handkerchief", here Hermione pointed at an emerald green handkerchief with an unmistakable 'D' inscribed in silver, with a snake coiled around it.

Hermione handed it to Draco "Is this yours, Mr. Malfoy." She gave him a glare that challenged him to deny the accusation.

Draco cast a glance at the offending object and then gazed heaven-ward. Somebody up there was _really_ annoyed with him. The stars were aligned against him. His destiny was stuck in a time warp. His fate…………

"Is it?" Hermione's insistent voice brought him back down to reality.

"Er………yes." He accepted reluctantly. "It's mine."

When it became apparent he wasn't going to say anything else, Hermione glared at him again and then motioned towards the air-hostess with her eyes.

Draco looked at her with distaste. It was totally her fault. What did she want to go around tripping on his handkerchiefs for? She'd just wrecked the conversation that he'd managed to strike with so much difficulty with Ms. Ice Queen over there.

"Its fine" he said, imperiously waving his hand. "You can go now."

Hermione looked at the soaking man in front of her. He couldn't be serious. He couldn't think that after the way he shouted at the air-hostess, he could just shoo her away. . "I think you should apologize."

Draco looked at Hermione, horror-struck. Was she _mad_ on top of everything else? She didn't think that he could ever apologize to _anyone _much less a dim-witted air-hostess. 'After all it was her fault that he looked as if he'd stepped out of a swimming pool', he thought, temporarily disowning his favorite handkerchief.

"I don't think that's necessary" He said coldly, glowering at Hermione.

"I do." said Hermione simply. "It's just people like you who say whatever they feel like, and then refuse to take the consequences. You just go around, thinking that you own the world. It's just people like you who expect other people to act as your servants 24/7. Well let me tell you Mr. Malfoy…………"

But just exactly what she was going to tell 'Mr. Malfoy' was lost in a loud "Sorry" hurled with considerable speed by Draco. He couldn't believe that there were people like this in the world, who had no other business than interfering in others' life. That Granger woman was almost shrieking, 'Human Rights' Activist' writ large across her face.

He was not going to bear the indecency of it all. He got up condescendingly and moved towards the nearest bathroom. At least he could try to dry his ridiculously expensive Armani original.

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When he came back, the people on the flight, including the 'Granger Woman' had settled down considerably. He looked at her. She was lost to the world, her head hidden by "The Herald"

Draco sighed

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"Draco means 'dragon'."

Hermione looked at the man next to her, and wondered at his audacity to still talk to her after all that had happened. He'd gone away with a death-glare that had made her sure that he thought her an interfering-busybody and wouldn't talk to her. So what had happened now?

She forbore to reply.

Draco _had _indeed decided to not talk to her, but another hour of sitting alone with nothing but 'He, him and himself' he had changed his mind. He'd rather talk to that 'Granger Woman' than remain quiet another second.

When it became apparent that she would not reply, he said "Look, I'm sorry for what happened earlier. But I did apologize to her."

Hermione discreetly glanced at him. He was right and she knew that. For all his arrogance, he _had _apologized. That would have been hard for him but he'd done it.

"Yeah." She said finally "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have gone up in smoke like that."

Draco looked at her in amazement. _She's _apologized! Maybe she could prove to be something human after all.

"It's all right." He said.

She went back to reading

'Urggggh! She never did get a hint, did she?' Draco resolutely took the paper out of her hands, and silenced her as she protested.

"Look" he said "You can read this anytime. You have your whole life left to read it. But we won't be meeting again. If you continue reading this, you'll go home and spend your life wondering about how drastically your life would have changed if you'd talked to that nice man on the plane."

Hermione laughed. He was quite charming ('probably charms all his 'catches' with this kind of line' she thought sardonically) and after casting a longing glance at 'The Herald' on Draco's seat, she turned to meet his eye.

"Ok." She said "Let's talk."

"So tell me" she continued, teasingly "Do people really fall like that when you announce your name?"

Draco laughed too "Oh yes" he said "It's a standard reaction. Mainly from the female population of this universe'

Hermione looked at him in amusement; he really did have a high opinion of himself. Draco Malfoy………hmm…… unusual name, she'd only heard it once before………

"Wait!" she said, her eyes widening "Are you the son of Lucius Malfoy of the Malfoy Publications?"

Realization hit and Draco groaned at himself. He'd had the trump card all along and not even seen it.

"Yes" He said.

"Wow!" Hermione was almost hysterical. "I love his books! Especially 'The Road to Yesterday'. It was just amazing! You're so lucky!"

Draco tried to look modest and very lucky "Yea. 'The Road to Yesterday' was my favorite too." His voice grew softer and he looked down "It was based on my parents' divorce.

"I'm sorry" said Hermione quietly. And she was. She could see that Draco really missed having his family together.

"So……" said Draco finally, "what're you going to Paris for?"

Hermione's eyes lit up. This was one subject of which she never tired.

"I'm going to the 'College of Arts' in Paris to do a three year course in fashion designing."

"No way!" Draco looked at her "That's cool. I'm going to the same college. I plan to become a cartoonist."

Hermione smiled warmly "That's great!"

She turned to look out of the window and then shuddered, turning back towards Draco.

Draco watched this exchange with curiosity. "What happened?"

"Nothing" said Hermione hesitatingly. "I'm just a little afraid of heights."

"Oh…" Draco smiled to himself in satisfaction; at least Ms. Perfect had _one _clinch in her armor. "Well, on my last plane ride too I was sitting next to a girl who was afraid of heights. She…er…happened to look down once too often and…well…she couldn't handle it, threw up all over me.

It wasn't a pretty sight." He concluded

Hermione looked at the unbelievable personage sitting in front of her in barely concealed incredulity. Didn't he know that _this _was not the kind of story she wanted to hear, while looking out the window?

"Really?" She said politely. After all she didn't actually know this guy.

"That's what I said." And Draco looked at her, frowning. She almost seemed to be itching to pick up the paper. But that couldn't be right; after all she was in _his _company and what else could be more interesting (or handsome)? Maybe she was just shy.

Hermione sighed inaudibly. She wished he would just shut up and let her read, but by the way he'd turned towards her, it didn't seem as if that was gonna happen anytime soon.

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**A/N This was another plane exchange, just to show you guys that neither of them is perfect. They're quite irritating but still adorable in their own ways. Don't worry, this is not the start of a love relationship, they've many years to go before _that _happens!**

**Noticed that Hermione stands up for human rights? (Since there's no SPEW) and liked reading a lot, especially stuff that other people wouldn't be caught dead reading. Even though there's no Hogwarts, I'm trying to make Hermione as Hermione-ish as possible **

**Love **

**Lightening**

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	5. Still Together

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_Disclaimer- Any character you recognize does not belong to me. They belong to the wonderful J.K.Rowling, who's making a mint on them._

_The storyline is from a Hindi movie called Hum Tum (Hum Me, Tum You)_

Summary-AU- A sexy Casanova and a witty, smart Siren engaged in a droll battle of wits trying to one-up the other. Not your typical 'Boy Meets Girl' but the never ending battle of the sexes in a new, wacky style! **_Not _based on When Harry Met Sally. Well………kinda based on that but not really. Yes I'm getting confused myself.**

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Last read - but by the way he'd turned towards her, it didn't seem as if that was gonna happen anytime soon……

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"Darling, there will be a lot of shopping malls in Australia right?"

"Yes of course honey. Nothing but the best for my sweetheart." And the two speakers had a heartfelt snogging session right there in the plane.

Draco looked up to see the woman he'd so grossly been interrupted with earlier…and the muscle-man who'd interrupted him. The girl wasn't all that in the brains department, but _boy_, was she sexy or what!

Next to him, Hermione made gagging noises. Draco turned to her, amused.

"Against PDA are you." Then laughed inwardly at his own ridiculousness. Anyone who'd been with Hermione even for a minute could see that she had problems with ANY display of affection.

"Yes, I am" Hermione retorted frankly. "But other than that, can you see the _age_ difference. That girl is practically a kid!"

"Hermione", Draco explained patiently "Men are completely different from women. A man would never think twice before dating a girl twenty years his junior, while a woman has problems with guys even ONE year younger. It's a completely different world, and never the twain shall meet."

"How dim-witted", Hermione all but shouted, "Looks aren't everything you know. But the male mind is too small to comprehend that fact."

_Hey, she just insulted my species. This woman has serious gender issues._

"You know" he said conversationally to Hermione, leaning forwards "I think that looks are the most important part of a person. If you ain't good looking, then you might be Mother Teresa reincarnate, but no one's gonna notice."

He stopped to catch his breath and then continued "People go through life saying that it's what's _inside _that matters. But everyone knows that's just bullshit. If a person doesn't look good, most people, especially _girls" _he stressed, "don't even wait around to look for whatever goodness might be hidden under the unremarkable exterior."

Hermione glared at him. _Damn him for being right. _Her mind knew that what Draco was saying made perfect sense, most people were too shallow to actually see the real person. _Don't I know that. _She smiled ruefully remembering her failed relationships. _Oh well, if they couldn't care about me, apart from looks, they weren't worth it. _

Draco could almost see the wheels turning in her head. She knew he was right, but she'd fly off the plane without any parachute before she actually admitted the fact.

And as usual he was right. After a quick "Whatever", his partner turned back to "Condition of African Children".

Draco looked up, and cursed the gods for the third time that day. This plane ride was turning out to be too long.

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"**The Paris Catcher is about to reach its final destination- Paris. We hope you had a safe and happy journey, and will soon give us the pleasure of traveling with us again. We request the passengers to please wait till landing to switch on their mobiles. Now some information about Paris………"**

This was where Draco stopped listening. He didn't have any interest in the history of Paris. His affiliate seemed to prefer sleeping rather than talking to him.

_Her loss. When she's sitting in her boring college room, she'll regret not talking to Draco Malfoy when she had the chance._

He just wished the plane would land soon.

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Hermione woke up with a start and sneaked a glance at the man frowning at her side. '_What a grouch' _she thought.

Handsome he might've been, but his arrogance and complete faith in his own views made up for that.

She looked up at her watch impatiently. She'd managed to sleep for a little while, but she was still quite tired. She just wished the plane would land soon.

Draco and Hermione were the first ones out of the plane when it landed.

Hermione sighed in relief. Never ever was she ever going by a plane again if she could help it.

Hermione started looking in her bag for her book. She couldn't find it. She searched frantically. Nope, it hadn't magically appeared during the two second gap between her first and second check. But she was sure that she'd kept it in her bag after reading, where could it be?

"Looking for something?" Draco's drawl brought her out of her reverie. She'd forgotten that he was still there.

_What had he got against speaking like a normal human being? Him and his infuriating drawl. Maybe he's a part of an alien species, destined to drive this world crazy, by their maddening ideas._

"Yeah" she said, without looking up "I can't find that book I was reading in the plane, you know, the one called 'Design'?"

Draco held up the book. "This one"

Hermione looked up and almost cried in relief at having her book safe and sound. "Yeah! Thanks!"

Then suspicion colored her voice, "How did you get it? I'm sure I'd kept it in my bag."

"You had." Said Draco looking supremely unconcerned, "I took it out from there."

Hermione gaped at him in horror. This man just _had _to be kidding, "YOU OPENED MY BAG?"

"Well yeah. You were sleeping and I was getting bored, so I thought that I'd read a bit."

"Haven't your female friends EVER told you that it's IMPROPER to open a girl's bag without her permission?"

Draco looked at her in pure astonishment "I don't have any female friends."

Hermione stopped mid rant. She'd thought that somebody as attractive as him would definitely have girls fawning all over him. And the way he'd behaved in the plane, expecting her to hang onto his every word, she'd been sure she was right.

But Draco apparently wasn't finished…"A man and woman can never simply be friends. I have lots of girlfriends but no girl friends."

This had nothing to do with friends. It was just another of his warped philosophies.

"Care to explain" Hermione said, raising an eyebrow.

Draco was only too happy to. "See…… a man can never be friends with a woman. The attraction part always comes in between. And men are always attracted to the women, who they say they're 'just friends' with. So a man-woman friendship is completely ridiculous." Here he stopped complacently, waiting for the inevitable next statement. And sure enough……

"I have lot of friends who're guys."

"No you don't. The friendship part is just on your side."

Hermione was affronted. How dare this man, a virtual stranger, tell her that she didn't know her own friends?

"It's NOT. They think of me just as a friend and nothing more."

"Hermione" Draco explained tolerantly, "I've nothing against your friends. I'm sure they're more honorable than most, but I'm also sure that they've dreamt of _at least _kissing you.

She was not going to listen to his theories anymore. "Now I think I should leave. It's getting late. It was nice knowing you." She started walking away.

"**Hermione**" Draco shouted from behind the crowd moving out of the airport.

She stopped, "What?"

He arrived at her side, breathless. "I just called up the college, and they said that the rooms for the new graduates would only be opened at night. So we have the whole day before that. Wanna roam around Paris?"

Hermione snorted. He was so sure of himself, that he's automatically assumed she'd want to spend the day with him. But somehow she wasn't able to refuse.

"My friends _do not _like me in that way" she said emphatically.

Draco grinned, "Sure they do."

And both of them walked off…

A/ Please leave your comments, suggestions, etc in a review. And a big "THANKS!" to all my reviewers, who have stuck with me, even though I'm so slow in updating! And well…This might be the last update for some time, I've got exams coming up, but DON'T WORRY, I would never abandon this story! (Although I might need to see the movie again!)

Love

Lightening

PS Old friends, where are you? Don't desert me!


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